Norwegian Human Rights Fund

What Norwegian Human Rights Fund does

The Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF) is a Norwegian non-profit grant-making foundation established in 1988 by Norwegian civil society, academia, and workers' unions. It provides direct financial support, organizational development, and network-building services to local human rights organizations and human rights defenders operating in seven priority countries — Colombia, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, and Sri Lanka — with additional support extending to 22 grantee partners outside the priority list. Its work is organized around four interlinked thematic areas: access to justice and promotion of accountability; inclusive societies free of discrimination and inequality; environmental human rights; and protection of human rights defenders.

The NHRF operates a 13-person secretariat in Oslo and a 16-person regional office in Bogotá (opened in 2020), supported by local consultants in six countries. It is governed by five member organizations — Amnesty International Norway, the Atlas Alliance, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Norge), the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, and the Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations — which contribute strategically, professionally, and financially and sit on the Board. The organization also acts as secretariat for the Oslo Breathing Space City temporary relocation program for human rights defenders, in partnership with four other Norwegian civil society organizations.

The NHRF is funded primarily through institutional grants from Norad (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) and the Norwegian Embassy in Bogotá, with additional support from private foundations (Jamette & Sverre Markussens Hjelpefond, Fritt Ord), the City of Oslo, trade unions, individual donors, and — as of March 2026 — the Norwegian Postcode Lottery. It is certified by Innsamlingskontrollen and conducts annual human rights due diligence under the Norwegian Transparency Act. In 2025 the NHRF supported 153 projects and 131 grantee partners, reaching 9,791 human rights defenders, 73% of whom were women.

Name

Norwegian Human Rights Fund

Legal name

Norwegian Human Rights Fund

Website

https://nhrf.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Norwegian Human Rights Fund is a Norwegian non-profit grant-making foundation, established in 1988, that provides direct financial support, organizational development, and network building to local human rights organizations and human rights defenders across seven priority countries in Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Human Rights Grant-Making

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Safeguarding, Accountability & Compliance (ESG, Gender/GBV, Do No Harm) (BPADAEAM), Transitional Justice, Accountability & Reparations (BPADAGAL)

Keywords

• Human rights grantmaking
• Civil society funding
• Human rights defenders support
• International development grants
• Nonprofit philanthropic funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding (Norad): Primary support from Norad (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) which provides core institutional funding for the organization's operations and grant-making activities.
2. Government Grants: Funding from the Norwegian Embassy in Bogotá and other government sources supporting specific country programs and initiatives.
3. Private Foundations: Support from Jamette & Sverre Markussens Hjelpefond, Fritt Ord, and other private foundations providing flexible funding.
4. Trade Union Support: Core contributions from member organisations including Fagforbundet (trade union) and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions.
5. Postcode Lottery: From March 2026, the NHRF became part of the Norwegian Postcode Lottery, receiving unrestricted, non-earmarked funds as one of 23 supported organizations. At least 50% of lottery revenue goes to charitable causes.
6. Individual Donations: Support from individuals through Vipps (mobile payment) or bank transfer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF) is a Norwegian non-profit grant-making organization that provides direct financial support, organizational development, and network-building services to local human rights organizations and human rights defenders working in politically sensitive contexts across seven priority countries (Colombia, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka). It also serves as the secretariat for the Oslo Breathing Space City temporary relocation programme for at-risk human rights defenders.

Product overview

The Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF) operates as a non-profit grant-making organization focused on protecting and promoting human rights internationally. Rather than offering a traditional software product, NHRF provides three interconnected service offerings: direct financial support to local human rights organizations through competitive grant programs, organizational development support to strengthen grantee capacities, and network building to facilitate connections across the human rights ecosystem. The organization also manages the Oslo Breathing Space City temporary relocation programme for human rights defenders. NHRF's work is organized around four thematic areas: access to justice and promotion of accountability, inclusive societies free of discrimination and inequality, environmental human rights, and protection of human rights defenders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Direct Financial Support to Human Rights Organizations Direct financial grants awarded to local human rights organizations working on the frontlines of human rights defense in seven priority countries (Colombia, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka). Mexico 2026 grants range from USD 15,000 to USD 50,000 per year with an implementation period of September 2026 to December 2028, targeted at organizations with annual budgets below USD 250,000.
• Organisational Development Support Capacity building and organizational development support aimed at strengthening grantee partner organizations' ability to effectively carry out their human rights work, including targeted fit-for-purpose capacity building delivered through the Colombia office and local consultants.
• Network Building and Connections Service that builds connections and opens doors for grantee partners by facilitating relationships between local, national, and international actors in the human rights ecosystem, including engagement with UN mechanisms and international human rights bodies.
• Oslo Breathing Space City A temporary relocation programme for human rights defenders living in stressful or hostile environments, providing a breathing space with psychological support, physical activities, and cultural opportunities. NHRF serves as the secretariat for this initiative, which was started by five Norway-based organizations: Amnesty International Norway, Human Rights House Foundation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Rafto Foundation, and the NHRF.
• Human Rights Due Diligence Assessment Annual human rights due diligence assessments conducted in line with the Norwegian Transparency Act and OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct, with reporting on efforts under §5 of the Act.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,791 human rights defenders supported in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Atlas AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization contributing strategically, professionally, and financially to the NHRF's work. Represented in the NHRF's Board. Atlas Alliance is an umbrella organization for Norwegian disabled persons organizations working for disability rights globally.
• Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (Norsk Senter for Menneskerettigheter)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization contributing strategically, professionally, and financially. An internationally recognized research institution within human rights, affiliated with the University of Oslo.
• Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Norge)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization with over 880,000 members, contributing strategically, professionally, and financially to the NHRF. Norway's largest and most influential labor organization.
• Amnesty International NorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization with 100,000 members and activists, contributing strategically, professionally, and financially. One of five founding organizations of the Oslo Breathing Space City program.
• Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations (Mellomkirkelig Råd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization contributing strategically, professionally, and financially. Coordinates contact between the Church of Norway and foreign churches and international church organizations.
• Oslo Breathing Space City PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTemporary relocation programme for human rights defenders initiated by five Norway-based organisations: Amnesty International Norway, Human Rights House Foundation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Rafto Foundation, and the NHRF. NHRF serves as the secretariat. Funding comes from Oslo municipality, Fritt Ord, EUTRP, and other donors.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fund for Global Human Rights: A grantmaking foundation that provides direct, flexible funding to frontline human rights organizations and defenders in the Global South — the closest direct functional peer to NHRF in mission, beneficiary profile, and grantmaking modality.
• Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism: Rapid-response grantmaking fund specifically focused on women human rights defenders and feminist movements — overlaps with NHRF's WHRD segment and rapid-protection grant modality.
• ProtectDefenders.eu: EU-funded mechanism providing emergency grants, temporary relocation, and protection support to human rights defenders worldwide — directly comparable to NHRF's HRD protection mandate and overlaps with NHRF's participation in the Oslo Breathing Space City initiative.
• Wellspring Philanthropic Fund: Private foundation making grants in international human rights, governance, and civil society — comparable peer in grantmaking model and thematic overlap with NHRF's access to justice and accountability work.
• Sigrid Rausing Trust: UK-based foundation that funds international human rights organizations, including support for civil society and HRDs — closely comparable in being a European grantmaking foundation with a human rights mandate.
• Oak Foundation: Private family foundation that funds international human rights and HRD protection work, including partnerships with grantees in NHRF's priority regions — closely comparable in grantmaking approach and beneficiary profile.

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: Major U.S. foundation with significant international human rights and civil society grantmaking — broad incumbent operating at vastly larger scale than NHRF but with overlapping themes in inclusion, justice, and accountability.
• Open Society Foundations: One of the world's largest private foundations with substantial human rights grantmaking including support for HRDs and civil society — a broad incumbent operating at much larger scale than NHRF but with overlapping grantmaking strategy.
• National Endowment for Democracy (NED): U.S.-funded grantmaking organization supporting democracy and human rights globally — overlapping thematic mission (civil society support, defenders) but operating at much larger scale and with a different funding base (U.S. Congress).

Emerging players

• CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation: Global alliance of civil society organizations focused on civic space monitoring and HRD protection — comparable mission around civil society support, with NHRF board member Amitabh Behar previously serving as Vice Chair.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nhrf_hrd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbt0OQODMGY3lJreRwzRzYQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/thenorwegianhumanrightsfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norwegian-human-rights-fund
• Instagraminstagram.com/nhrf_hrd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Norwegian Human Rights Fund